


Baby, I Want You Back

by weapon13WhiteFang



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Love to hate to love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-07 09:37:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15905673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weapon13WhiteFang/pseuds/weapon13WhiteFang
Summary: The elders in Cole Wood, Missouri will never forget the day Meredith Quill - once the town’s strange if not adored newly pregnant single mother - broke a plate over Yondu Udonta’s - the once rebellious and law-defying and mohawk-sporting punk rock biker - head at Nova Diner when he made a rather raunchy comment about her then-new pregnancy.Now - eight years later - Meredith is the newest secretary hire at Cole Wood Sheriff’s Department… And the current pain in the ass for town sheriff, Yondu Udonta and his deputy sheriff, Kraglin Obfonteri… Oh but don’t worry, the elders will say. There’s a story behind every story in Cole Wood.





	1. My girl didn't cry (I wonder why)

**_Missouri, 1980_ **

__Crash!_ _

_All of Nova Diner went silent. Heads whipped around or took a peak over their menus. Some of the elders tsk’s. A few of the waitresses shook their heads in understanding._

_Meredith Quill - youngest child of Jonathan Quill and the late Jane Quill; sister to Aldrin, Collin, and Shepard Quill - was breathing heavily, cheeks redder than the normal pink that came with her womanly glow. Hazel eyes were wide and teeth mashed._

  _A group of young men - all dressed in leather and plaids - stared wide eyed at the woman. Looks of awe mixed with some arousal but plenty of fear with disbelief. None able to process what the Hell just happened!_

  _T_ _heir leader was the most dumbfounded of all. He blinked slowly, his head bleeding as he stared at the seething young woman before him, dressed in the dark blue uniform of all the servers of Nova Diner._

 Y _ondu Udonta - born with an odd name he assumed was Russian or some shit since he never knew his parents - was gob smacked dumb that Meredith Quill had just smashed a plate over his head!_

_"You don’t ever talk to me again, Yondu! I don’t want to ever see your ugly face around me ever again!” Meredith hissed through her mashed teeth. “You are the biggest- the biggest asshole I’ve ever met!”_

_With that, Meredith turned on her heels and stormed to the back of the restaurant, slamming the door to the back with a loud bang and leaving everyone watching the door before all eyes turned on Yondu._

_Yondu – expression going from dumbfounded to purple and blue and red faced rage – shoved himself up from his table, plate pieces cracking under his thick black leather boots._

_“Crazy sentimental- Meri! Goddang stupid sentimental fool! Go on! Go run off to your piece of shit drifter! See if I give a rats ass!” Yondu bellowed with a snarl before storming out the front door, not even bothering to wait for his buddies as he made for his bike and started her up. With a crunch of gravel and the revving of the old Harley, he peeled out of the Diner driveway._

__A silence fell over the dinner as the Yondu’s friends slowly got to their feet. The scraggliest of the bunch – Kraglin Obfontori, the second in command of sorts and one of the youngest of the group at only fifteen– threw down a rather large tip along with the money for the bill. A few of the others followed suit with their own payments as they scrapped their chairs and exited._ _

__When the last of the bunch was gone with the tinkle of the bell, all heads turned back to their plates and began to mumble. The rumor mill was on the go._ _

 

**…**

 

_**Missouri, 1988** _

Meredith Quill sighed for the umpteenth time, pursing her lips as she glares down at the resume in her lap, gripping the steering wheel of her old Ford Mustang II King Cobra – her brother Shep’s car before he passed it down to her for a newer model – for dear life, knuckles white.

“Come on, Mer. Just... You gotta do this. For Peter... Can’t keep relying on your family anymore.” Meredith spoke aloud, looking at herself in the rear view mirror before turning it away.

For the last eight years – since she was sixteen – Meredith had worked at _Nova Diner_. The job had helped her a lot in all that time. Her boss – Nova P. Clancy and her husband Norm Clancy – had treated her like family. One would watch Peter while she worked when her daddy or brothers couldn’t. They’d even given her extra jobs to make a little extra money (even if she tried to tell them it wasn’t necessary but lord those two didn’t listen to anyone). They were good people. Nova Diner was full of good people. All the girls and the men were just... They were family.

But Meredith wasn’t sixteen anymore and Peter wasn’t a newborn babe. He was eight years old and in school and growing like a weed! He was such a kind hearted little boy that was full of love. He was her brightest star. Her little Star-Lord.

She loved Peter more than anything in the world... Which is why she needed a new job. She was twenty four. Young to be a mother of an eight year old – as the church folks of St. Paul’s often clucked at her since all of Cole Wood found out she was pregnant at sixteen and not married – and yet too old to keep relying on her daddy and brothers for help with the things Peter needed over the years and would eventually need in the future.

Meredith had finished high school. It had been hard. But her school councilor and her father and brothers and the Clancy’s have helped. They also helped again when she would go to night classes at _Washington University_ , the local college. She’d gotten a simple degree in communications because it had seemed logical; a degree that could be used anywhere. Sure it was a far cry from music producer like she’d dreamed of being once, but when you’re a mother you have to make sacrifices sometimes. She’d sacrifice her world for Peter.

With a deep, heavy sigh she pushed herself out of the Ford. She made sure her outfit and appearance looked nice in the reflection of the glossy paint and driver side rearview mirror before holding her resume to her chest and walking to the entrance of Cole Wood’s county sheriff department, dodging around men in uniform running in and out with some dragging in men and women in cuffs.

She sent a glare to a man that gave her a lecherous grin and whistled at her – getting shoved by a deputy, who told him to “watch himself” – as she went to the front desk receptionist; an man in a very obnoxious suit and tie that was askew, darker skin and feathered black hair with white in it, talking away on the phone. His name plate read “Howard T. Duck”?

“Hey, Bev, let me call ya back, babe… Yeah, yeah I will. Love ya too,” Howard grunted, voice gruff and almost thick like cigarette smoke.

He hung up the phone and turned his chair to fully face her, raising a brow and holding his arms out.

“What can I do for ya?”

  **…**

****R &R** **


	2. She drives me crazy (and I can't help myself)

**_Missouri, 1978_ **

_The engine of his old triumph came to a dull purr as he pulled over to the side of the road, scowling as he turned the bike off and kicked the kickstand down. Yondu stared at the handlebars, contemplating, before huffing and angrily getting off the bike, turning to face behind him._

_He’d past by this area once on his way to his adopted parents house. He’d stayed there for well over three hours and was on his way back when he happened to spot the current grit of his annoyance._

_A dark blue 60’s pickup Ford truck was parked on the side of the road with the hood up and a someone bent over the engine. He’d passed the same image on his way and now – seeing it again – he heard an annoying voice that sounded like his adopted mother telling him he better turn his ass around and check on this apparently stuck idiot._

_So, he’d done a quick u-turn and pulled up infront of the bike, cocking his head to the side as he strolled up to the truck. Normally he’d just pass these kinds of scenes. They eventually would get help, he was sure…. But maybe he was feeling nice. Maybe it was the voice of his scary mother-figure threatening to beat his ass if he didn’t try to help. Maybe he could just imagine the closes thing to a father figure looking disappointed at him for not trying to help, seeing as he was the damn county Sheriff after all._

_Whatever the reason, Yondu was here and listening to someone cursing and muttering up a storm while a little portable radio sat on the edge of the vehicle, playing the Eagles. With his head cocked he could get a full view of them_

_“’Ey! Ya alright?” He called out, bellowing._

_They – a girl – gave a squeal of surprise, shooting up and whipping their head, wild curling dark blondish brown hair going everywhere. A pair of big hazel eyes found him and Yondu’s brow ticked up and he straightened._

_He’d seen this girl before. She was one of the Nova Dinner hang around girls. He’s pretty sure she’s the one who convinced the Clancy’s to buy the jukebox for the restaurant last year too, seeing as one minute it hadn’t been there and then a month after the girl started hanging out there it showed up and she was always hovering around or the new pinball machine. He’d seen her happily flipping through it more than once when he’d gone in with the gang._

_“Oh…” She said slowly, pushing her sweaty hair out of her face and lowering her arm – had she been about to bean him with that wrench? – before she gave a huff. “You scared me! Can’t just come up on people like that, you know?”_

_She sounded young. Probably not much younger than Yondu, but young enough he guessed. He eyed her, taking in her jeans that flared at the bottom and a bright yellow shirt with a little green, big headed, big eyed character giving the peace sign.._

_“The fuck you doing out here, kid?” He finally asked, crossing his arms._

_“Kid? You can’t be that much older than me.” She sniffed, cocking her hip and placing her hand on it, the hand with the wrench hanging at her side._

_He rolled his eyes at her sass and stepped up to her, smirking as she flinched away a bit, eyes widening in a semblance of fear before she scowled at his grin and flared her nostrils like a mad dog. A tiny, yippy dog for sure._

_Yondu leaned over the truck and started to take a look, feeling her scooch up to stand by him and look down into the truck as well. He held his hand out for the wrench, clapping the fingers impatiently when she didn’t hand it over._

_With another huff she smacked it – hard – into his hand and he had to give her guts at how firm and pushy she was being. Most people tended to shy away and cower at his appearance and his gruff voice and attitude. Granted, he was doing his best to not be too damn rough around this girl. He didn’t need her getting back into town and telling everyone that some jerk on a bike had harassed her. They’d go for him right away and then he’d really get a look and talking to from his adoptive folks._

_“I think something came loose… It was rattling like crazy in there. But I’ve tightened everything I can think of…” She spoke up beside him and Yondu glanced at her before scanning the trucks innards carefully._

_He could see that she had indeed tightened everything up – testing himself – before he was digging down deep. His jacket got in his way, however, as he went to get in deeper. With a grunt, he shouldered off the dark reddish-brown leather and made to walk back and lay it on his bike._

_“Here,” she said, taking it gently from him and holding it against herself. “I’ll hold it, you work.”_

_Yondu scowled and eyed her and the girl – again – rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Oh stop. You’re helping me. It would be rude to mess up a cool jacket like this anyway.”_

_Yondu grumbled at her – “just don’t fucking drop it” – before going to dig down into the innards of the car until he saw the problem. The fan shroud was loose. And by her height – unless she had a damn stepping stool and longer arms – she wouldn’t have been able to reach down and test it._

_With a bit of cursing and grumbling, Yondu worked to tighten it back up. The damn thing was corroded around the bolts so it was a bit of work. Girl needed to update the damn thing. No wonder it was shaking like she said._

_It took about an hour and a half before Yondu had the thing secure enough that she should be able to get it to a shop without it exploding on her. He wiped sweat from his brow and grumbled to himself because he should be drinking a beer with the guys right now, not sweating like a damn dog._

_He went to wipe the sweat on his jeans when something fluffy and a little damp smacked into his face. He sputtered indignantly and yanked the thing off his face, glaring as the girl – still clutching his jacket – grinned at him before motioning to the towel so he could wipe himself up._

_He sneered at her before wiping the sweat off his hands, forehead, and arms. When he was slightly more satisfied, he smirked and threw it at her, catching his jacket before it dropped in her surprise and squeal of disgust as the sweaty fluff hit her._

_“Ugh! That’s so boge!” She gagged, throwing the towel into the floorboard of her truck’s passenger side before slamming the door and coming back around as Yondu pulled on his jacket and shut the truck hood._

_“Should hold ya a few miles, a’right? Don’t be a bunny and try riding all around. Get that shit looked at.” He ordered her, pointing at her then the truck._

_"Alright, alright, geeze,” she laughed, the scowl melting away as she gave him a small, soft smile that made Yondu stiffen because nobody smiled at him like that._

_“Thank you for stopping… Oh!” She exclaimed, laughing again. “I don’t know your name, do I? My mama and daddy would have me for my manors.” She clucked and Yondu grunted, crossing his arms._

_“I’m Meredith.” She introduced, holding out her hand and smiling at him._

_He eyed the hand and searched her face before he found himself thrusting his hand out and taking her, startled by how soft it was in his own rough palm before yanking his hand away. “Yondu,” he grunted out, waiting for the laugh he normally got when people heard his stupid ass name,_

_“Yondu… You a communist?” She asked and Yondu bulked and his face went red, ready to chew into her – “He weren’t no damn commi!" – when she burst into another laugh and her smile grew even wider than he thought possible._

_“Cool it, cool it! I was joking… I like it. Yondu, huh? It’s different.” She said with a giggle and Yondu grit his teeth and squeared his jaw, not knowing if she was still teasing or meant it._

_“Hng… Just get your ass home already, girl.” He growled, glaring at the giggling young woman._

_“Meredith, Yondu. It’s Meredith. Not girl. Not kid. Mer-i-dith.” She sighed, poking his chest._

_“S’wha’ I said, girl.” He shot back, almost smiling as she huffed again._

_“Since you fixed my truck, I’ll let it slide for now.” She grumbled, looking at her watch and letting out a yelp. “Oh crap! Ahhh! My daddy is gonna have my hide!”_

_With that, she scrambled to get into her truck and snatching up the little portable radio on her way. With a wave and “See you around, Yondu, thanks again!” she was off, peeling gravel and flinging it everywhere as she made towards the way he’d come from._

_Yondu scoffed and walked to his bike. Crazy twit._

**…**

**_Missouri, 1988_ **

Eight years ago the people of Cole Wood, Missouri would’ve howled with laughter and disbelief if someone had told them that Yond Udonta – one of two adopted sons of Sheriff Stakar Ogard and Chief Deputy Aleta Ogard (first female to take said position, she would smugly remind people)  - would become the next Sheriff of Cole Wood and the Washington County, they’d have been hauled off as a loony or laughed at point blank to the face.

It wasn’t exactly something he had planned on. Stakar had made the suggestion when he’d turned twenty-one. That he and his adoptive brother, Martin, should come join him and Aleta and their Uncle Charlie, Aunt Manny, and Uncle Krugar – all also adopted by the Ogard family years ago – and become a deputy. Yondu had scoffed at him and had no desire to ever strap himself into one of those stuff ass uniforms.

But then – in 1981 when he was twenty-three and had been fucking around at the old clubhouse bar – he’d gotten a call from his Uncle Charlie that Stakar had been shot and was intense care… Then his world had shifted. He’d rushed to the hospital – damn near breaking every traffic law to Thomas Adkins Saint Hospital – and had felt the deepest anger and fear. Anger for not being there to help Stakar – who’d never been shot before – and fear for Stakar’s health.

The man had pulled through – “It’ll take more than a damn bullet to take me out, boys,” he’d rasped to Yondu and Martin – and a month later Yondu was shaving away his Mohawk and joining the world of law as a deputy sheriff.

Of course many people had been skeptical and some of his old trouble making buddies had tried to pull crap over him. But he’d locked down on every one of those idiots and they learned quick he wasn’t playing… Which had somehow convinced a few of the old gang to clean themselves up and join alongside him.

Example; his Chief Deputy who had been following Yondu since the kid was fifteen, Kraglin Obfontori.

“We get that situation with Thunderbird County squared?” Yondu looked up from his paperwork, scanning across the room of the large meeting room at his staff and deputies that weren’t working.

“Odinson sent back a confirm on those warrants and should be faxing them over. The driver was the only one who didn’t have warrants so we’re getting that settled with the PA and Judge Gunn,” Gef Agee – Sheriff 49, who’d been hired by Stakar years ago – grunted, having been head of the chase the other night that Yondu had been woken up for.

“See to it you let Howard know to watch out for those and get those to me right away, got it?” Yondu looked at Kraglin, who nodded and wrote in his pad; keeping notes like he did every meeting.

“Anything else to report?” Kraglin asked, looking around the room.

“Jonathan Quill is gonna need to be approached again,” Oblo spoke up. “His cattle is getting loose again and we corralled those bitches back in again and it looks like his damn bull broke a hole. We got a few guys watching the fence line. Ain’t been able to get in touch with him yet.”

A few of the deputies and majors – the ones that were former members of the gang he used to hang around with – sent him discreet glances. Others simply turned to him for what to do about the situation. Yondu scowled and shook his head.

“I’ll send twenty-seven over. He’s got a good relationship with Jonathan. Should probably be able to locate him and let him know,” He grunted out, distaste evident.

If anyone noticed his sudden sour mood, no one said anything. It wasn’t odd for him to be growly and grumpy, anyway. Especially around this time and after dealing with the aftermath of a damn car chase.

“Alright y’all, get. Back to work,” Lieutenant Flanners Tulkk – simply Tulkk as he preferred or SO#3 – bellowed out, calling an ending to the meeting and having everyone scuttle off to work.

Yondu gathered his folder of events and roughly shoved them into Kraglin’s arms, almost causing his skinny partner to drop everything while Tulkk and Martin stayed behind, eying Yondu. He gave them each a glare.

“Wha’?” He barked.

“Nothin’, Sheriff. Just ya tend to get a wee bit stiff when the Quill’s are involved,” Tulkk explained, not holding back the obvious ounches.

“Considering she slammed a plate over his head, I’d say for good reason. His sparkling personality does that, you know?” Martin spoke up with a smirk, unphased by Yondu’s sneer and dodging a punch from him. “Hey, hey! Sheriff’s don’t punch, I could sue!” He joked.

“Piss off!” He snapped. “And I’m just annoyed Jonathan Quill ain’t fixed that damn fence of his. He’s got three damn sons that should’ve fixed it by now or helped him fix the fucking thing,” He muttered, heading for the door.

“The man’s older now. And his boys are hardly home. His oldest, Aldrin, works for freaking NASA now, Collin’s in the air force, and Shepard’s a freaking semi-pro racer. Only one that’s home is Meredith and her kid,” Martin mused, making Yondu’s chest clinch at the mention of little Peter Quill.

Yeah, he knew the kid. Not as well as he should. Not as well as he wanted to or could have. Yondu had burned and smashed that bridge years ago… Course didn’t help that his dang mother was a freaking stubborn twit who went off and did something stupid, regardless of the miracle it gave her or not…

“Still that shit needs to get fixed before someone hits a damn cow,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he made down the hallway.

He made it down the hall into the civil division, dodging around busy men and women to get to Manny, the head of the whole operation. Manervia Francis Cyrus – Manny for short – had known Yondu since he was just out of diapers, having been adopted by Stakar’s father – Wendel – had taken in Manny when no one else would due to her missing… A few limbs. Didn’t stop her from being damn scary with a wooden spoon if she got mad.

“Yondu, when are we going to see those updates? The Armstrad CPC 464 falls under the Macintosh IIx,” Manny exclaimed as soon as Yondu entered her office, making him sigh while Martin and Kraglin chuckled.

For every new computer update, his dearest Aunt was constantly insisting on an update. He didn’t know the first thing about computers, just how to log in all his damn data and log out of everything. As long as they worked and got the job done, he could give a rat’s ass about what model they were.

“You try getting the funding, Aunt Manny,” Martin spoke up, grinning at the older woman as she sat in her chair and adjusted her prosthetic leg, a patch in place o0ver her missing eye, and prosthetic left arm missing.

“Where’s yer damn arm?” Yondu asked, frowning.

“Broke it again,” Manny hummed cheerfully, causing Yondu to scoff. Manny was always breaking that damn thing.

“Any word on what they want us to do with people trying to apply out of county ex-parte’s?” Yondu sighed, figuring he should just ignore the arm situation for something less headache inducing.

“Mm, nope. City Hall meeting is Saturday evening so hopefully we’ll see,” Manny chirped as she clicked away at her computer.

“Right. Course they gotta wait ‘til now ta get shit done,” Kraglin uttered beside him and Yondu huffed in agreement as Martin leaned against Manny’s wall with her window that looked out into the secretary office, peaking through the blinds.

“Whoa, hello… Pretty woman,” Martin spoke up eagerly, yelping as Manny hit him with a plastic paper weight. “Oww, Auntie M! What the Hell?”

“You know if Aleta was here she’d have you for ogling a girl that doesn’t know she’s being ogled,” Manny replied before thanking Kraglin as he placed the paperweight back on her desk for her.

“… Holy shit, it’s Meri!” Martin sputtered out, almost ripping the blinds apart as he went to get a better look, face almost pressed to the glass.

Yondu’s head snapped to Martin and he was off his feet before he could stop himself, yanking the blinds – “You boys will be buying me new ones if you mess up my nice blinds, you know?” – before his eyes landed on a face he hadn’t really gotten a look at in eight years.

Meredith freaking Quill was sitting in the secretary cubicles… She was right outside the office, smiling and talking it up with Howard… What the Hell was she doing here?!

**…**

**It’s fun turning characters human. Manny – AKA Mainframe – as a cheerful  woman with prosthetics that works for the Sheriff’s department was just too cute an idea to pass up for myself.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit longer chapter this time! I had a bit of fun with this one, just because I enjoyed turning Mainframe human. Also I gave Tulkk his first name for a reason! Cookies if you can figure out why!


	3. Guess who just got back today?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A woman never forgets when a man scorns her.

**_Missouri 1978_ **

_“Ugh how come all the good stuff has to be gone by the time we get here? I can’t find anything!”_

_Meredith cast her friend a grin as she looked up from the clearance collection of records that were currently on sale at Milano’s Thrift. Meredith had been coming to this store since she was old enough to remember, having spent much of her chore and babysitting money on many records and trinkets she likes._

_Meredith wasn’t exactly a popular person. A lot of the kids her age found her strange and “out there”. And not in the groovy way either... Which meant a lot of people made fun of her or avoided her. So that meant she didn’t have a lot of friends._

_What friends she did have, however, were the best. Like her friend Alison Blaire – who called herself Dazzler (Or Daz as Meredith preferred) because she said she had to get used to people calling her by her stage name when she became a famous singer, so she would say – who was hunched over the other side of the record bin._

_“That’s because you’re too picky,” Carol Danvers – a friend she’d made last year when they’d both shown up with space-themed pins on their jackets and backpacks – laughed as she was trying on different jackets and holding colorful t-shirts up to herself in the old mirror on the wall._

_Carol and Daz were her best friends and they kept Meredith from feeling lonely most of the time... They were both pretty well liked at school so she wasn’t really sure why they decided to be her friend and spend their free time with her, but she was glad for their presence none-the-less._

_“Whatcha gonna get, Mer?” Carol asked, holding a few articles of clothing while sporting a stylish pair of mirror tinted sunglasses that would do John Lennon proud._

_“Sonny and Cher, a jukebox mix, and The Doobie Brothers!” She gleefully showed off, causing Daz to sputter._

_“No way! Where’d you find that?!” She exclaimed, trying to grab her records._

_“I actually know how to shop,” she teased, laughing beside Carol as Daz scowled at both of them._

_Hugging her finds, Meredith eyed a few shirts – picking a nice pair of sunglasses for herself – before making for the checkout counter while Carol and Daz once again argued over who was hotter; Krik or Han Solo. Carol having picked up a nifty Star Wars shirt._

_“Han Solo is so dreamy, though… Kirk is so boring! He tries to hard! I mean, jeeze, he thinks he’s sooo cool… Blech!” Carol fake gagged as Meredith looked between the two._

_“Han has no skills and no real class. He totally fakes cool when in reality he’s a totally double L loser,” Daz scoffed, causing Carol to sputter._

_"Oh so not! Take that back!” She practically screeched as Meredith laughed and took her bag, waiting for the girls to check out as the arguing escalated. Meredith wasn’t worried though. This was pretty normal for all of them… Personally Meredith was totally on Daz’s side, but she didn’t feel like ganging up on Carol._

_Sneaking out the door to wait for the girls, Meredith pulled on her sunglasses and looked herself over in her reflection as a rumbling caught her attention. Blinking, Meredith pushed down her shades and turned to look behind her to High Street._

_Coming down the road – at least twelve of them taking up one lane – were large chrome and metal motorcycles. Each was different than the others, but all sported one thing in common; dark blood red flame-like patch on their tanks and some on their jackets and helmets._

_A few people turned and glared – mostly the older crowd – while Meredith saw a few girls from school and the high school giggle and wave and touch up their hairs as the group made for Nova Dinner, taking up all the front parking spaces._

_“Ugh, Ravagers,” Daz spoke up as she and Carol made it out the front door to catch up with her._

_“Ravagers?” Carol asked, looking from the girls to the bikers and back._

_“Oh I totally forget you weren’t born here. The Ravagers are these group of guys that drive around on loud motorcycles and just cause trouble. They’re pretty easy most of the time, but when they’re all together like that, it’s always a mess. They totally caused a fight at Mike’s Corner Pocket last week over three dollars!” Daz rambled as Meredith squinted across the distance before he face lit up._

_“ Yondu! Hey! Yonnndduu!” Meredith called out loudly, waving happily as a familiar build with a familiar Mohawk came into view._

_The man himself turned around roughly and scanned around until their eyes met across the distance and she smiled widely and continued to wave happily to him, noting a few of his buddies were looking at her then him._

_Her smile became a grin as his face went red and rolled his eyes. With an about-face turn he started for the Dinner door… But she just grinned toothily as he gave a wave over his shoulder her way on his way inside._

_Daz’s jaw dropped and Carol let out a startled laugh as Meredith looked at her friends._

_“What?”_

**…**

Meredith had never met Howard Duck in her entire life in Cole Wood but the man had a way of making you feel like you’d known him forever. He was very charismatic and had a very interesting sense of humor, putting Meredith in stitches as she had to cover her mouth to not squeal in laughter.

She had handed him her resume and he had looked it over, leaning back in his chair with his feet slightly propped on an open drawer bellow him and making the chair come just a bit off the ground.

While he’d been examining her work history, her eyes had been drawn to a colorful photo that was sitting on his desk. A picture of Howard with a birthday cake in front of him and pretty white woman with very wild-like hair and dressed like a real rock star kissing his cheek right as the photo was taken.

There were a few other pictures of Howard and the woman. She couldn’t help but smile at a very cute picture of the girl holding a full grown duck in her arms with Howard’s arm around her waist and grinning, the pair looking like a cute – strange, but cute – little family.

“Well most people would find the lack of job history to be a bit of a turn off but I see you as a nice, clean slate,” Howard spoke up, closing her resume in time to catch Meredith looking away from his photos to give him attention.

Her face reddened at being caught as he cocked a brow and looked over at his collection of photos.  “You two look happy together… And cute… I like your duck. I grew up on a farm and had a few around myself...” Meredith rambled out bashfully as Howard gave her a smirk.

“That duck is a real damn menace. His name’s Phil. He was named after my girl Beverley’s best friend. Guy’s off working for Stark Industry now as a top scientist,” Howard replied, smiling at the picture of him and the girl – Beverly, she guessed – and Phil the Duck. “…Cute, huh?”

“Very,” Meredith assured, motioning to the picture of Howard with the cake and the kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks. Bev’s my world. Don’t know what I’d do without her. Even when she drives me crazy,” he chuckled.

“I get the feeling it might play two ways from that bit of phone call I caught,” Meredith teased, feeling her heart warm at how much love was in Howard’s eyes as he talked about Beverly. It was the kind of look Meredith had always wanted a guy to give her…

“Oh don’t even get me started! Bev’s parents ain’t exactly my biggest fan and Bev’s been saying they just need to get to know me but trust me, I can see it on her pop’s face… He don’t want nothing to do with me and keeps telling Bev she’ll “see the light” eventually,” Howard snorted, a bitter scowl on his face. “…Ah shit, sorry… Didn’t mean ta drop that on ya… Meredith, right?”

“Yes, but call me Meri if you’d like. My friends do,” she explained and Howard gave her a look.

"Friends? Already? Ya just met me, lady.” He chuckled, shaking his head at her.

“True… But you shared yourself and that’s enough for me to call you friend and decide I like you,” Meredith explained, smile wide on her face.

“Pffttt!” Howard spit out, laughing and giving her his own smile. “Yeah? Well cool then… Well friend, Meredith, from what I can see your resume looks clean and clear to me. I’ll have you sign some crap to do a background check and we can have you do a full interview if all checks out. You pass that, you’re as good as hired sweetheart,” Howard explained as he tossed her a clipboard with a form on it along with a pen.

Meredith clumsily caught it and quickly signed it. She handed the pen over and felt excitement bubble in her belly… Was it really going to be that easy? She had figured it would be more than that…

“Who’s my interview with?” she asked.

“Two. You’ll have one with my bosses in the civic and human resource division with one of the officers present. Then your next one will be a truth test with our Sheriff. Between those two we’ll have you do a drug test and fill out any remaining paperwork and then yer all set to start getting trained,” Howard explained as he dug through his drawers, muttering about “envelopes”.

“The Sheriff interviews me?” she asked.

“Yeah… Where the Hell did I put- Yeah you’ll have an interview with Sheriff Udonta,” Howard answered, still digging through his drawers as Meredith felt herself freeze up.

Udonta? _Yondu_ was going to be the one to interview- When did he become the Sheriff?! Meredith felt her face go red and she opened to her mouth to again ask Howard about the Sheriff – she thought Stakar Ogord was the Sheriff… Had she already missed the elections?! – When she happened to looked past Howard in time to see a door marked “Civics’ Entrance” come open.

Yondu Udonta – two other officers following him – was staring right at her as he opened the door, almost smacking one of the men with the door as he came stomping out. Meredith blinked wide eyed back at him and for just a second everything seemed to slow down and it was just them and-

_“You don’t ever talk to me again, Yondu! I don’t want to ever see your ugly face around me ever again! You are the biggest- the biggest asshole I’ve ever met!”_

Her expression – which was probably one of surprise and maybe a little happy to lay eyes on the man – went cold as she was dropped back to eight years ago with broken plate pieces at her feet and pain in her chest.

She stiffly looked away and focused on Howard. She would not give Yondu Udonta any of her time until she had to. Until then, she wanted nothing to do with the man anymore than she did back then after smashing his head with a plate in Nova Dinner eight years ago.

**…**

**R & R Plz**

**Hell hath no fury mwaha.**

**I know some of you are curious on just what exactly Yondu said but trust me I’ll get to that… Eventually ;)**

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been slaving over this for awhile and I know the first chapter is short and I apologize for that but I'll attempt to make it longer next chapter. Also, I'll try to be a bit consistent with updates but I can't make a promise... Only reason I'm posting this now is that I'm in a sad mood and thought posting would cheer me up... Anyway, tell me what you think okay?


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